Linguistics, Lexicography, and the Revitalization of Endangered Languages1

摘要

There is greater awareness now than ever before that languages are dying at an alarming rate. Hence, there is an urgency among linguists and indigenous communities to document, describe, archive, and revitalize endangered languages. Dictionaries play an important role in this process and, within the last decade, field linguists have developed innovative lexicographic methodologies, policies, and practices from which all lexicographers can learn. These dictionaries are written for a varied audience; they use technology in new ways, draw on oral as well as written sources, incorporate pedagogic materials, and involve indigenous community members throughout their compilation. Dictionaries of endangered languages are no longer merely static records that preserve language but are now being developed as dynamic, multi-functional tools for language maintenance and revitalization.